Lemke Receives Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence from South Dakota State University
Thursday, September 17, 2015 | Track and Field
BROOKINGS, S.D. – Florida track and field associate head coach Steve Lemke has been named the 2015 recipient of the Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence by his alma mater, South Dakota State University.
First bestowed in 1972, honorees must be graduates of SDSU and have distinguished themselves in the fields of coaching and education. The award's namesake coached football at South Dakota State from 1947-68, compiling a 113-89-9 record with nine North Central Conference titles in 22 seasons. Ginn's wins mark stood as the most in program history until being passed by current Jackrabbit head coach John Stiegelmeier during the 2014 season.
A four-year letterwinner (1980-83) for the Jackrabbits, Lemke earned an NCAA Division II All-America plaudit and won an NCC title in the javelin throw during his senior season. The Fargo, N.D. native also helped SDSU sweep the NCC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 1981.
Nearly a 30-year veteran of the collegiate and international coaching ranks, Lemke is preparing for his 11th season as the throws coach at Florida.
An associate head coach for the past six campaigns, Lemke has taken the Gators' throwing program into the upper echelon of NCAA Division I during his tenure.
Since his arrival in 2006, Florida's women have won seven NCAA Championships in throwing events—the second-most by any Division I program during that span. Moreover, the Gators' four NCAA Outdoor National Championships in the throws are tied for the second-most in Division I over the last 10 seasons. With his victory in the shot put at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, Stipe Zunic became the first male Gator to win a national title under Lemke.
At the conference level, the Gators have won 28 SEC Championships in throwing events, nine more than any other program in the league, since Lemke took over in Gainesville.
Those accomplishments played a major role in Florida's five NCAA Division Men's Championships and eight SEC Championships, all of which have come since 2009.
To learn more about Lemke's international coaching experience and his successful coaching stints prior to joining the Gators, click here to read his full bio.
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